Fossil Fuel Alternative Energy

6%. About 85% of the energy comes from Fossil Fuels nuclear power provides the last 8%. (World News Digest pg 2).
             Hydroelectric power is the use of waterpower to drive water turbines, which in turn drive electricity generators (Gilpin pg 111). As I listed above this accounts for 4% of the consumption in the United States, however this percentage varies of different countries anywhere from 0 to 50% in Switzerland.
             Biomass Energy is obtained by burning organic matter such as wood and sewage. It is also the concept of using vegetation as a continuous source of future energy, relying on crops that which offer a high yield in energy terms (Gilpin pg 25). It has been argued that in the future biomass provide a significant part of the energy requirements in the 21st century. .
             Geothermal Energy is power obtained by using heat from the Earth's interior, usually in regions of active volcanoes. Also hot springs, geysers, pools of boiling mud and fumaroles are often sources of such energy (Gilpin pg 96). In the early Roman time they used hot springs to heat baths and even their homes. By the late 20th century geothermal plants were only in operation in select locations such as; Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia and the United States. Many more are now in operation. Geothermal power is non-polluting and offers an alternative in certain locations to polluting fossil fuels. .
             Solar power is the energy of the sun, that reaches the surface of the Earth in the form of visible light, short wave radiation, and near ultraviolet rays (Gilpin pg 200). In some ways every power generation method can be attributed to the sun. The sun influences all winds, waves and tides, which then influences everything that happens in the world. Solar Cells, solar panels and solar powered generators are all being used across the world.
             Iceland, near the Artic Circle is home to about 270,000 people, of whom 90% of them live in the cities and with its steaming geothermal power stations, Iceland already knows plenty about alternative energy.